There is a continuing need to be able to detect and identify bacterial spores. For example in the food industry there is a desire for rapid analysis of food stuffs to detect the presence of any bacterial spores, such as Bacillus cereus, before they can germinate and spoil produce and/or cause illness. Equally there is a need for rapid detection/identification of spores used as biowarfare agents such as Bacillus anthracis. 
Current methods for detection of spores include germination via heat activation and outgrowth. However this process takes up to 48 hours and requires skilled personnel and therefore is unsuitable for rapid in the field identification.
More rapid tests exploit antibodies associated to the surface of the spores (exosporium) for detection. Handheld immunochromatographic tests are available but the sensitivity of such test are low.
Likewise, non-specific protein detection agents used for exosporium detection suffer from the same shortcoming; low sensitivity.
Sonication may also he used to modify the surface of spores so as to aid subsequent detection of spore protein via an immunoassay or non-specific protein reagents. Detection sensitivity can be improved by modification of the surface of the species to be detected so as to improve subsequent binding to the antibodies on the biosensor.
Another method of screening for spores is to completely disrupt the spore so as to release intrasporal DNA for subsequent analysis via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. For instance ultrasonication has been proposed to completely disrupt spores in ‘Belgrader P.; Hansford D.; Kovacs G. T. A.; Venkateswaran, K; Mariella, R.; Milanovich, F.; Nasarabadi, s.; Okuzumi, m; Pourahmadi, F.; Northrup, M. A. Analytical Chemistry 1999, 71, 4232-4236’. However the samples can require pretreatments of up to 90 minutes and so far the amount of intrasporal DNA released has been low so the technique would not currently be sensitive enough for most applications.
In the case of Anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), treatment is effective if initiated within 72 hours of infection. This means that samples must be analyzed in time to identify potentially infected individuals and begin treatment. However, because the effects of exposure to anthrax are not immediate, and because the initial symptoms are easily confused with the flu, there is a need for a fast method to detect B. anthracis in an environment where B. anthracis may have been released. This need is enhanced by the increasing number of anthrax threats that are called into governmental authorities each year. A fast sensitive method for determining whether public places have been exposed to anthrax spores in therefore essential.
Therefore, there is a need for a method that increases the availability of intrasporal protein for detection, and thus increases sensitivity, that is rapid and amenable to testing outside of a laboratory setting.